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Western's Drought Response Actions
Western is in Stage 2 - Water Supply Alert
Voluntary water use reductions up to 20%
As the drought continues and the State Water Resources Control Board enacts emergency water use regulations, Western remains in Stage 2 (Resolution 3206) of its Water Shortage Contingency Plan.
Stage 2 calls for the following water shortage response actions:
- All plumbing leaks, improperly adjusted sprinklers, or other water conduits/fixtures that require repair or adjustment shall be corrected to the satisfaction of Western within 72 hours of customer notification by Western.
- When installing plumbing fixtures, use low-flow devices, except for those that require high-flow fixtures for health and/or sanitary reasons.
- Customers should wash only full loads of laundry and/or dishes.
- Customers should install low-flow certified showerheads and shorten shower times.
- Customers should consider replacing older inefficient appliances with certified low-flow appliances.
- All outdoor irrigation shall be maintained and adjusted to prevent water waste.
- All irrigators shall ensure automatic irrigation timers are adjusted according to changes in the weather.
- All irrigators should install a self-adjusting, weather-based, irrigation controller. Ensure the controller has a manual mode.
- All irrigators should tune-up irrigation systems by checking for and repairing leaks and damaged sprinklers.
- Watering of lawns and/or groundcovers and irrigating landscaping is permitted only between the hours of 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.
- Watering outdoor landscaped areas shall be avoided during measurable rain events and two days thereafter. A measurable rainfall event is determined to be precipitation that measures greater than 0.25 inches as recorded at the California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS) Station Number 44 for customers in or near the Riverside service area and CIMIS Station 62 for customers in or near the Murrieta and Rainbow service area. Measurement information is available online at CIMIS website (www.cimis.water.ca.gov).
- Watering outdoor landscaped areas shall be avoided during significant wind events.
- No customer shall allow water to leave his or her property by drainage onto adjacent properties or public or private roadways or streets due to excessive irrigation and/or uncorrected leaks.
- When installing new landscaping, refer to the Water Use Classification of Landscape Species (WUCOLS). Plant low-water California Friendly® Landscapes. Non-functional turf areas are not recommended.
- All open hoses shall be equipped with automatic, positive shut-off nozzles.
- All swimming pools, spas, ponds, and fountains shall be equipped with re-circulating pumps.
- Where possible, install pool and spa covers to minimize water loss due to evaporation during non-operating days.
- Draining and refilling of private swimming pools is discouraged, unless necessary for health and safety or leak repair.
- The non-commercial washing of automobiles, trucks, trailers, boats, airplanes, and other types of mobile equipment shall be done with a hand-held bucket or a hand-held hose equipped with an automatic, positive shut-off nozzle.
- No customer shall use water to wash down sidewalks, driveways, parking areas, tennis courts, patios, or other paved or hard surface areas, except to alleviate immediate fire or sanitation hazards, and then only by use of a hand-held bucket or similar container, a hand-held hose equipped with an automatic, positive self-closing shut-off device, or a low-volume, high-pressure cleaning machine.
- Construction operations receiving water from a construction meter, hydrant meter, or water truck shall not use water for any purpose other than those required by regulatory agencies.
- Where possible, construction operations should utilize non-potable and recycled water for their purposes.
- It is prohibited to install single-pass cooling systems in buildings requesting new water service. Single-pass cooling equipment should either be modified to recirculate water or, if possible, should be eliminated.
- New commercial conveyor car washes and new commercial laundry systems should install recirculating water systems.
- Eating or drinking establishments, or other public places where food or drinks are sold, served or offered for sale, should only provide drinking water upon specific request and are encouraged to use low-flow certified pre-rinse spray valves.
- Commercial lodging establishments shall provide an option not to launder linens daily. Commercial lodging establishments shall prominently display notice of this option in each guestroom using clear and easily understood language.
- Developers of commercial properties are urged to eliminate or not install non-functional turf and to install water-wise landscaping using native or drought-tolerant plants.
- No commercial property shall allow water to leave the property by drainage onto adjacent properties or public or private roadways or streets due to excessive irrigation and/or uncorrected leaks.
- Commercial customers will be encouraged to develop a Water Management Plan that mirrors the stages and reduction targets described in the Program.
- Commercial, institutional, industrial, and landscape customers, including but not limited to, parks, school grounds, highway medians, commercial landscaping, and golf courses are restricted to irrigation applications between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. These irrigators are advised to adjust automatic irrigation timers according to changing weather patterns and landscape requirements.
- Customers irrigating with recycled water need to provide signage on the site that conforms with recycled water use requirements and is clearly visible. Customers irrigating with recycled water are encouraged to develop a Water Management Plan that describes how water waste will be eliminated.
- Homeowner Associations (HOAs), community service organizations, or similar entities are strongly discouraged from enforcing provisions of their rules and regulations that prohibit reducing or eliminating the watering of vegetation or lawns during a declared drought emergency.
- Western strongly encourages counties, cities, HOAs, and other enforcement agencies to suspend code enforcement and fines for brown turf areas and to otherwise comply with new state laws regarding limitations on such enforcement.
- HOAs shall eliminate irrigation runoff from residential and HOA common area landscapes. HOAs are strongly encouraged to adopt and enforce water use restrictions in their rules and regulations.
Water Shortage Contingency Plan
The Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) is a strategic plan that Western uses to prepare for and respond to foreseeable and unforeseeable water shortages. A water shortage occurs when available water supply is insufficient to meet the normally expected customer water use at a given point in time. A shortage may occur due to a number of reasons, such as water supply quality changes, climate change, drought, regional power outage, and catastrophic events (e.g., earthquake).
- Ordinance 394 - Updated Retail Customer Water Supply Shortage Contingency Response Program (PDF)
- Water Shortage Contingency Plan (PDF)
Western’s WSCP outlines six water shortage stages and their respective response actions.
- Stage 1 At-A-Glance (PDF)
- Stage 2 At-A-Glance (PDF)
- Stage 3 At-A-Glance (PDF)
- Stage 4 At-A-Glance (PDF)
- Stage 5 At-A-Glance (PDF)
- Stage 6 At-A-Glance (PDF)
- Administrative Fines (PDF)
- Drought Fines (PDF)
What do I need to do?
Continue to step up your water-saving efforts. Western encourages customers to use our various indoor and outdoor water efficiency rebates, tools, tips, and programs to help you save even more. These can all be found online at wmwd.com/Drought.